Improvement in water-meters



raras 'I' FFC'E.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-METERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 117,975, dated August15, 1871.

To all ahem it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN BnoUGI-rron, of Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in later-Meters, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawingforming part of this speeiiication, and in which- Figure 1 represents anoutside vertical view or elevation of a meter constructed in accordancewith my improvement, Fig. 2, a vertical section of the same; Fig. 3, alongitudinal view of the main body or portion of the wheel detached; andFig. 4, a plan of the same. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through theline a' a' in Fie'. 2, lookin g upward, in illustration of anindependent case for the registering mechanism, showing its connectionwith and arrangement relatively to the main. case of the meter.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral figures.

My invention relates to meters in which a revolvin g wheel, operated bythe water in passing through it, is used 5 and the invention consists inanovel construction of the wheel and its adj uncts, whereby, whileclose-fitting joints and packing between the stationary and rotatin gparts are dispensed with and the wheel is relieved by friction, all thewater is compelled to pass directly through the wheel and made tocontribute, by its gravity, to the rotation thereof', without thepossibility of escaping by or between the periphery ofthe wheel and itsstationary case.

In the accompanying drawing, A represents a vertical hollow cylinder ormain metallic case, provided at its ends with ian ges `for the inlet andoutlet-connections. B is a vertical wheel, pivoted to rotate in acentral position within the case A. At the upper end of the wheel arespiral blades or vanes, b, arranged around and extending downward overan annular body, c, so as to form a screw-wheel. These blades aresurrounded and inclosed by a body-tube, d, also made to form a part ofthe wheel, and through the annular space established, by which the waterpasses in acting on the inclined surfaces ofthe vanes. Attached to theupper end of the case A, and extending downward within it, is a thinmetal tube, e, corresponding in diameter with the tube d, whichsurrounds the screw-blades of the wheel. C is a dome-shaped casting,attached by wings f or otherwise to and within the lower end of thestationary tube e, for the purpose of forming an annular space betweenthe two, corresponding' to that through the wheel, and to carry thepivotbearing or central bush in which the upper end of the wheelrotates. Attached to the upper end of the body-tube d of the wheel, forrotation with it, is an enlarged tubular portion, g, arranged to extendupward in the annular space formed between the interior surface of thecase A and the exterior ot' the tube e. rlhis rotating tube g, inconnection with the stationary tube e and the case A, forms a cut-oft',or what is equivalent to a tight or packed joint between the lower endof the stationary tube e and the upper end oi' the rotating wheel, theoperation being as follows: The water entering the upper end of the caseA passes downward through the annular space at the lower end of theiixed tube e and through the correspoxnlimgz,l opening of the wheel B,and by its action 011 the blades b rotates the wheel. When the water, inlling the case A, rises to the level of the opening' joint between theupper end of the wheel and the lower end of the stationary tube e, allthe air in the ease A above that point is caught and prevented fromescaping, and, being compressed within the annular space between theexterior of the xed tube e and the interior of the case A to an extentcorresponding with the pressure of the water, it prevents the waterrising within and owing over the top of the rotating tube g, thusforming an air packing to the joint at the junction of the rotatingwheel and stationary inlet-tube, and, in connection with the body-tube dof the wheel, compelling every particle of water to pass through andcontribute to the rotation of the wheel. A horizontal rib or flange, h,is attached to the bottom end of the xed tube e. rlhis, in connectionwith the tendency of the water resting on the horizontal ledge formed bythe junction of the tubes d and g to press outward by centrifugal force,prevents the water outside of the tube e from being drawn down or suckedby the downward rush of the water when passing the open joint at a highvelocity, and so tends to maintain the balance in the air-space betweenthe inside and outside of the revolving tube g. The bush or bearing k,at the lower end of the wheel, into which the vertical step or spindleenters, is provided with a central passage up through it incommunication with an air-space or chamber within said bush closed atits upper end above the bearingpoint of the pivot. rl`his allows thewater to rise within the bush, and by forcing the air up into thechamber above the water is made to cover and lubricate the upper end ofthe pivot or bearin g-point otsaid bush. The spiral blades b oi' thewheel are made somewhat thicker than is required for strength, and arebeveled oiiin about avertical direction attop on their under or advancesides, as at This causes said portions to impinge against the water asit passes through or enters the wheel at right angles to the motion ofthe latter, and makes said portions act as a break or check to retardthe motion of the wheel. The velocityof the wheel under these conditionsis not in exact ratio with the velocity and pressure of the waterpassing through it, but is checked or retarded in a greater ratio as thepressure and velocity of the water increase. By this means, inconjunction with the oth er features as hereinbei'ore referred to, therevolving wheel of the meter may be made to indicate and register undera very low head or pressure, and with a very small stream issuing at theoutlet, as correctly as when working under a high pressure and running afull stream.

The general construction of the wheel is, preferably, as follows, thesame being both cheap and eliicient: First, a central hollow metalshaft, m, provided at its upper and lower ends with solid brass bushes,the upper one, mot' which is in the form oi' a screw-plug orbearing-block for the upper pivot. c ot' the wheel, .iliade of hardrubber, wood, or other suitable material, and having the spiral blades bmolded, cast on, or otherwise secured to its outer surface. Ahollowmetal end cap or hemispherical lange, o', is soldered or otherwisesecured to the shaft m, and fitted so as to enter in concentric relationa groove inv the lower end of the body c and a similar end cap, i",applied, in a loose but like-fitting manner, to the upper end of thebody c, so that by screwing down the plug or bearing-block n, which hasa iian ge orhead bearing on the end cap 1", the whole is firmlyconnected or braced together. A wheel may thus Around this shaft is theannular body be made which, while combining cheapness with stren gth,may be of a specific gravity, about equal to the body of water which itdisplaces. rlhe entire registering mechanism, the main wheel of whichgears into a worm on the hub or shaft of the wheel B, is fitted orcontained within an independent cylindrical case, l), which is arrangedto slip in and out of the meter-case or a pocketlike projection, fr,thereof, and detachable from said main case by, for instance, simplyunscrewing a nut, u, at the back of the pocket. rlhis ar rangementallows of the meter being quickly taken to pieces and the parts puttogether again without disturbing the wheels or mechanism of theindicator.

What is here claimed, and desired to be scoured by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination and arrangement of the upper stationary tube c andouter case A with the enlarged upper tubular portion gof the wheel i andbody-tube d thereof, substantially as and for the purpose herein setforth.

2. The iiange It at the lower end of the stationary tube e, incombination with the enlarged upper tubular portion g of the wheel,body-tube (l thereof, and outer oase A, essentially as described.

3. The spiral blades or vanes b of the wheel beveled oi'i' at top ontheir under or advance sides so as to retard the volume of waterentering by contracting the orifice and presenting an impinging surfaceto the water at right angles or thereabout to it course, substantiallyas and for the purpose specified.

4. The wheel, constructed of a central hollow metal shaft, on, anannular body, c, of rubber, wood, or other suitable material, hollowmetal end caps r 9", a screw-plug or bearing-block, n, and spiral vanesb, essentially as described.

5. he bearing-bush k for the lower pivot, constructed with a passage upthrough it in com munieation with a chamber or space above thebearing-point of the pivot and within the bush, substantially as shownand described.

JOHN BROUGIITON.

Witnesses:

FRED HAYNEs, l. F. Hannan.

